(Solmonath 28, 56 / 2:00PM)

(Stan) Stop trying to put the explosive kicks in! It’s completely unnecessary!

(Luke) But I did the math and it will work!

(Stan) This explosive kick is completely unrealistic and even dangerous. What happens if shrapnel or sharp metal splatters and hits someone in the eye?

The trio’s robot was 40% done, with Stan bringing in many stacks of metal that could support its large frame. Combined with the arms being mostly rubber metal, its rubber was being tested upon by Fred, by moving up and down a rapid throwing yo-yo that thrusts out a heavy metal ball and back.

As the clock reached the halfway point, they had another hour and a half to finish their robot, but there were still some discussions about the basis of their work.

For one, every team or single was starting to wrap up the invention, and most of them were starting to work on decorations or little test runs for it to work properly in the fight.

As for our main group…

(Fred) The stupid size is making the controls much harder than they should be.

(Stan) I could say the same for the yo-yo arms, it’s way too clunky.

Even though Fred and Stan managed to finally agree to do both their interests in the robot, it seemed as if their ideas were too advanced given the scraps and technology that they have…

For Fred, the yo-yo arms didn’t move fast enough, and as for Stan, he couldn’t get the robot to move fast enough, making the robot move as if it was a drunken dinosaur…

(Luke) I think we should put in something different for the legs.

(Stan) It better not be the explosive kick idea…

(Luke) Explosive kicks are cool though…

(Stan) And dangerous.

(Fred) And risky…

(Luke) How about rocket legs?

(Stan and Fred) … what?

(Fred) How will rocket legs work in a fighting arena like this?

(Stan) Yeah, I think you should just assemble the parts and not speak for a while…

(Fred) Sorry Luke, but Stan’s right…

Luke began to pout hard as he is being treated like a golden boy again. He was being treated special by the red haired yo-yo man and now he’s being treated like some sort of little kid. The more he thought about it, the more he started narrowing his eyes to both boys.

To him, he got whatever he wanted, but he never put any effort into it. And for the first time that he wanted to put some sweat and skill into an area, his ideals were just too advanced for a robot competition.

(Luke’s thoughts) They’ll see … they’ll soon realize that rocket boots aren’t a dream! I could put more effort into it if they would let me…

Since he just wanted to have fun, he started to loosen up again quickly, subduing his feelings into his heart.

But that was going to be easier said than done…

As it was mentioned, the robot was not even moving that much, to begin with, clearly meaning that—

(Stan) Damn it. Uhm … Luke, can you assemble as much as the robot you can? Fred, can you improve the controls of the robot?

(Fred) What about you? I hope you don’t spend the time just going to the snack tray and eating all the potato chips…

(Stan) What do you take me for, some kind of fatass?

As Fred and Luke were assembling the robot, sure enough, Stan went to a nearby snack table, completely devouring half of the food in one go…

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(Solmonath 28, 56 / 3:00PM)

(Luke’s thoughts) Almost there…

Fortunately for Luke, the three of them managed to barely keep up with the others. The robot looked solid in design and was sturdy enough to probably tank some damage.

But the controls though…

(Fred) Still needs a bit more fixing Stan. Do you want me to connect some of the red wires to the yellow ones?

(Stan) The yellow wires are the ones that conduct AC through the controller.

(Fred) But I’m not good with AC…

(Stan) sigh … wanna experiment with DC?

(Fred) Definitely!

(Fred’s thoughts) DC~DC~It makes it easy~

Humming a little song that Fred does when doing anything related to DC power, it made Stan’s ears perk up, clearly a little frustrated…

(Stan’s thoughts) For god’s sake!

(Stan) Stop humming that stupid song!

(Fred) sigh … fine …

Fred continued to work on the electrical current and wires that connect the power to the controller.

(Fred) Just a bit of this, and a bit of that … and DC should be running through the controller.

Luke decided to be the one to test whether or not Fred’s attempt with different electrical current regulations worked. As Luke moved the robot around, a sign of fresh relief washed over the three boys.

(Stan) Oh fu—finally it worked!

The robot finally started to move as it should’ve been moving in the boys' minds. It moved its legs much more steadily and faster and its arms more agile and rapid.

(Fred) Our robot is finally ready for battle!

(Stan) About time! And Luke said he wanted to put on rocket boots for agility. This is enough agility for one robot…

Luke decided to ignore Stan’s comments about his previous ideas on the robot, but he was more happy that at least the robot was working normally.

(Stan) If only Diego was here, the dude could win against a bear controlling a mouse.

(Fred) Where was he exactly? Didn’t he have to attend a family gathering at Haxouburg?

(Stan) Yeah, just our luck huh… anyway, we should now start decorating it. I think everyone is pretty much done with their robots except us…

Looking around the building, Stan’s observation was mostly true. Well, everyone was completed with the design and decorations of their robots, but obviously, some teams wanted to double-check things that would ensure greatness and success for their robot.

With the pile of metal scraps and wires at the south side of the building, most of the teams wanted to use most of these scraps for better or for worse, and what better way to better their chances of victory if…

It meant looking around at what other teams did…

(Stan) I hope no one decides to build another mecha-sized robot…

(Fred) I hope no one stole my yo-yo idea too…

(Stan) I think no one would find the yo-yo idea brilliant.

(Fred) You never know!

Luckily for the group, no one was daring enough to copy the three of them, which guaranteed the fact that at most, they had a good chance for originality. But it would be funny if other groups thought the robot they built was too clunky…

As for Luke…

(Luke) There! I made some last-minute changes to the robot!

(Stan) … What did you put?

(Luke) Oh, you’ll see…

(Fred) sigh … if we lose this competition because of your stubbornness of rocket boots, I’m permanently keeping all the DVDs that I borrowed from you.

(Stan) If we lose…

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Stan then gets close to Luke, overlooking him with a towering complexity.

(Stan) … you’re going to make me lunch every day for a month…

(Luke) … ok.

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(Solmonath 28, 56 / 3:30PM)

(Speaker) Time’s up! Everyone, bring your robots to the bench room near the arena. Make sure to sign in your robot, and I think we all have the names of our groups in the roster! The arena competition starts in 30 minutes!

Speaking on the megaphone, the speaker timed up the building and decorating part of the competition, but at the cost of the speaker’s pet baby wolf from howling on top of his head.

Most of the teams and solos were bringing their robot to the waiting room, with groups filled with normal humans to some beast humans that worked on their little killing machines…

As for the main group, how did the haul of the robot go per se?

(Fred) This thing is too heavy.

(Stan) Here, let me handle it.

Stan decided to carry the big robot, its metallic structure cold and dark as his body was hot and sweaty.

Other people brought with them their robots and such, with many different variants taking form.

One group built a robot that resembled a spider, with its metal legs being used as weapons since the legs are attached with obsidian blades that could cut anything.

Another group built a robot that could fly, its blades on top sturdy enough to levitate it off the ground, and it contained a homemade flamethrower to overheat the robot's motor controls.

Another group built … or copied a popular type of robot…

(Random Geek #1) Hey, you copied Gary’s robot!

The robot was relatively normal, but what was different compared to others was that it was attached with a taser in the middle, like it was the robot's stomach, capable of frying any metal parts within seconds.

(Group builder of copied robot) Hey, you don’t see Gary anywhere, don’t you?

Anyway, Fred and Luke were with Stan, trying to give whatever support since Stan is known to be strong.

(Stan) You got to work out those arms man.

(Fred) I know, but I don’t have the time!

(Stan) You just got to do pushups and situps, and you’ll be good. I mostly just do light exercises and yet I got this body by doing it.

(Fred) That’s bull. I see you doing weights and heavy squats sometimes in the building.

(Stan) Why were you spying? Fascinated?

(Fred) No, I like girls.

(Stan) Don’t we all?

As Stan and Fred talked for what seemed like quite a while, Luke just eavesdropped on the conversation that they had. Both of them seemed close, almost too close.

(Luke) Hey, I got to ask, but when did you guys first meet?

As Luke began to question the basis of Fred and Stans's close bond with one another, it made Luke curious, since Fred was Luke’s best friend and all.

(Fred) Hmm … Stan should we tell him?

(Stan) Are you sure? You know you don’t like talking about it…

(Fred) Yeah, but I feel more comfortable when you explain it though.

(Stan) Sure … Luke, Fred didn’t tell you this, but he’s an orphan…

(Luke) Wait, what?!

Luke then felt a sudden whiplash of surprise and shock. Luke never met Fred’s parents, but it still was an eye opener.

(Luke) How are you able to afford to go to the Zirardge Technical Institute if you’re an orphan with no parents?

(Fred) Honestly, I don’t know … but if I have to guess, I say they did an IQ test on me, and I think they just accepted me with open arms.

(Luke’s thoughts) Just how smart is Fred anyway? I always beat him in most of the tests and exams, so what made him stand out?

(Fred) I don’t know my parents, and honestly, I don’t care, cause Stan and his family took me in.

(Stan) When I and my family first saw him, he was … malnourished … for a 6-year-old.

(Luke’s thoughts) Malnourished? In the country of Ticia and—no, in Clastine?

(Stan) He was I think with another boy, too, and both were not good in terms of health. I don’t know where they were living but, they looked too clean to be homeless at the time, so … me and my family didn’t want to investigate down that hole you know.

(Luke) Who was that other boy, if it’s alright with you?

(Stan) His name was Gary. And he’s—

Just then, the main door to the main building opened up violently. What came out of the door was a boy who appeared to be 14.

(Speaker) Gary! About time—wait, what happened to your face?

This time, the speaker didn’t speak with a megaphone, indicating that the speaker knew the boy Gary enough to communicate through voice rather than machine.

Gary’s face flushed with rage. As his hands squeezed so much as if his knuckles might break, he yelled back at the speaker.

(Gary) Some dude just dropped a lighter on my face from the Fenix Tower, I think from the tallest balcony!

______________________________________________________________________________

(Speaker) From the infamous Fenix tower? The mayor Joseph Fenix?

As the room filled with geeks and nerds started to cause more noise than the construction from their robots about ten minutes ago, rumors and gossip started to spread in the room.

(Random Geek #2) Who would do something like this?

(Random Geek #3) To Gary of all people!

(Random Geek #4) He’s like the best robot mechanic in the shop!

Gossip turns from frustration, as many people want to find out who did this to their precious and most popular robot builder…

(Luke’s thoughts) Oh no…

Fred and Stan notice that Luke started to blush red hard, nervousness and guilt filled Luke as he knew how this happened…

(Luke’s thoughts) That masked man… why did he have to do that…

Fred stood next to Luke, near his ear enough to whisper.

(Fred whispering) Hey Luke, it was you wasn’t it…

(Luke) Please don’t tell…

(Fred whispering) I’ll try to help you get out of here…

(Stan) Don’t tell me…

Stan glued together the puzzle to see that Luke was the one that dropped the—no, Luke didn’t drop but obviously, Stan didn’t know about the masked man, so it was safe to say…

(Stan) Damn it Luke, why did you drop a freaking lighter from the tower?

(Luke) It was … an accident…

(Stan) Fred, get him out of here before things get ugly.

Stan decided to block Fred and Luke so that Luke won’t be seen. Both boys quietly sneaking off so that harm won’t be bestowed upon Luke.

(Fred) I know of a secret entrance you could escape from.

Walking to the right side of the building, and quietly climbing a stack of wood, both Fred and Luke got on top that led to a metal opening. Upon seeing the exit, it made Luke…

(Luke) This is a garbage chute…

(Fred) If we take the main door, everyone will know.

Unfortunately, geeks and nerds have ways to solve a problem, and the speaker managed to recall one name in the list of builders…

(Speaker) Wait a minute, let me check the list of builders, I think I saw a kid with a last name Fenix…

(Gary) It’s a rare last name, so it must be him!

The speaker checked the paper and sure enough, the speaker saw the group that built the giant robot with yo-yo arms and weird legs, the group that held Stanley King, Fred Claudrick, and most importantly…

(Speaker) Aha, his name is Luke Fenix! Is there a Luke Fenix here?

Everyone in the building was searching for a boy by the name of Luke Fenix, but fortunately, most nerds and geeks don’t remember faces or names of people that they don’t want to pointlessly remember. This might have gained Luke an advantage in terms of escaping, but the way Luke and Fred were positioned…

(Random Geek#1) Why are those two boys on top of some wood?

(Fred) Shit!

(Luke’s thoughts) Come on…

Now all the nerds and geeks had their eyes on both Fred and Luke, while Stan…

(Stan’s thoughts) Damn it Fred, you should’ve taken the lower garbage chute, not the top one!

Stan's blockage of view wasn’t helpful at all, mostly because he thought that Fred and Luke would take a different chute.

But there maybe be still be a chance—

Nope, geeks are too smart for their own good…

(Gary) Fred! Fred! Is that you!? Why are you up there!?

(Fred) Uh …

(Gary) Wait a minute, is that the boy that you hang out with? Can it be him!?

(Stan) Hold up, think about it. Why do you jump to the conclusion that it is Luke? Why would a 12 year old kid throw a lighter off the top balcony?

(Gary) That’s what I wanna know—wait a minute, before I laid on the bench looking on top of the Fenix tower, I saw a little head peeking out of the top floor…

Luke started to sweat even more as Gary piece together the wrong puzzle.

(Gary) And the kid probably looked at me chilling and laying down, and probably for some sick prank, he … threw the goddamn lighter!

Returning to his anger, he didn’t let this chance of revenge slide.

Being backed by the group of angry nerds, they were not walking like a mob, but like some sort of mafia group, wanting to look intimidating, but it was just … not intimidating at all …

Anyway, Gary and the speaker were the ones in front of the group, and Gary knew that Fred wasn’t the one who did this, but the boy with light brown hair was shorter than Fred.

(Gary) Get down here now!

(Random Geek #3) How about forcing him down?

(Random Geek #4) Drag his butt off that wood!

Gary then ran towards Fred and Luke, trying to ignore Fred’s and Stan’s attempts to calm him down. As Gary ran towards the two of them, only focusing on exacting revenge on Luke, Stan also had to prevent the situation from getting any worse.

As far as Luke could see, Gary’s face was covered in blood, mostly from his nose, and it seemed as if his nose was beyond repair…

(Gary) As payback for my broken nose, how about I smash your face huh?

(Fred) Stop Gary! It’s an accident!

(Stan) Gary! Control yourself!

Gary managed to climb the wood and managed to reach the top where Luke and Fred were. Ignoring Fred completely, Gary saw a tearful and fearful face on Luke’s face.

But as soon as Gary came any closer, Stan was able to reach the wood onto the top, and he put himself between Luke and Gary.

(Stan) Calm down…

(Gary) Out of my way Stan!

Gary tried to move Stan, but Gary was more overweight than sturdy, so his pushes weren’t strong compared to the immovable Stan.

(Gary) I don’t care if you’re the best fighter in this club, I won’t back down fighting—

Then came light…

In an inexplicable turn of events, a flash of light came from the outside roof windows of the building, causing everyone to turn and look towards the roof. Their eyes were in confusion and fear as to why there was a sudden cause of bright light in the middle of the afternoon. The light is probably brighter—

Then the sound came…

A shockwave, from hell itself, burst its way into the building, causing the building to collapse upon itself…

It was so quick … Everything happened so quickly, because of Luke—

Then came the rain of collapsing debris—